Pair of Shuswap Christmas trees decorated with simple wishes from seniors

Every holiday season a couple of Christmas trees are set up in malls and businesses in the Shuswap and decorated with tags bearing the simple wishes from local seniors in need.

Residents pull a tag off a tree, purchase the requested items and deliver it to the associated senior care homes in Salmon Arm and Sorrento.

Salmon Arm realtor Hope Britton has coordinated the initiative called Santa for Seniors for the past few years.

“Seniors are near and dear to my heart,” she said. “As we grow older sometimes people forget about us plus 60 people. Seniors have to change their lifestyles and communities and sometimes they can’t afford things.”  

Every year, Britton is seeing an increase in need from seniors for the most basic items.

“Their needs are very simplistic, they’re just simple pleasures,” she said. “One lady wanted a cannister of coffee from No Frills because she couldn’t afford coffee anymore, other big items are chocolates and socks.”

Salmon Arm resident Tammy Wilson recently fulfilled eight wishes for seniors in need, adding Christmas cards, colouring books and candy canes to the gifts.

“Seeing some of the things these seniors were asking for was heartbreaking and I wish I could help more of them,” she said in a message to iNFOnews.ca. “Requests were for a warm sweater, a set of sheets, and peaches and cream oatmeal.”

Wilson said she donated because her heart needed it. When she grew up in Vancouver her mom would make Christmas boxes for families in need and Wilson wants to carry on the tradition.

“Living here we have a lot of seniors who don’t have family that can come and visit them, and some who are forgotten,” she said.

The tags, or wishes, on one tree in Centenoka Mall in Salmon Arm have been fulfilled, while there are a few tags left on another tree at the IDA Drug Mart in Sorrento.

People continue to reach out to Britton to either request wishes for more seniors, or to help fulfill those requests, and she is forwarding the information directly to the participating organizations.

“Someone just reached out to add two more seniors to a tree,” she said. “Even if a tree is empty of tags, there is still a need there.”

Seniors with tags on the IDA tree in Sorrento also receive a food hamper from the Sorrento Food Bank, and Britton suggests anyone wanting to help can also contribute to the bank.

“Everyone has their own needs to be met this time of year, but I’m hoping by some small miracle all of these seniors get something.”

Hope Britton can be reached at 778.220.3959 for the remainder of the holiday season.